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Mahesh

12/11/24 11:46 AM IST

Wind energy generation

In News
  • Tamil Nadu, which is a pioneer in wind mill installations, has wind turbines that are over 30 years old.
  • The Tamil Nadu government released the “Tamil Nadu Repowering, Refurbishment and Life Extension Policy for Wind Power Projects - 2024”.
Wind energy capacity
  • The National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE) says that India has wind power potential for 1,163.86 GW at 150 metres above ground level, and is ranked fourth in the world for installed wind energy capacity.
  • At 120 metres above ground level, which is the normal height of wind turbines now, the potential is 695.51 GW, including the 68.75 GW from Tamil Nadu.
  • Only about 6.5% of this wind potential is used at the national level and nearly 15% in Tamil Nadu.
  • Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Andhra Pradesh are the leading States for installed wind energy capacity, collectively contributing 93.37% of the country’s wind power capacity installation.
  • Tamil Nadu has seen the installation of wind turbines since the 1980s, and today it has the second largest installed wind energy capacity with 10,603.5 MW, according to data available with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
  • Of the 20,000 wind turbines in the State, nearly 10,000 are of small capacities, that is less than one MW. 
Wind turbines
  • Wind turbines that are more than 15 years old or have less than 2 MW capacity, can be completely replaced with new turbines, which is known as repowering.
  • They can also be refurbished by increasing the height of the turbine, changing the blades, installing a higher capacity gear box, etc., to improve the energy generated.
  • These can be done for standalone wind mills, or a group of wind mills owned by multiple generators.
  • When wind energy generators take up safety measures in the old turbines and extend its life, its called life extension.
  • The MNRE first came out with a “Policy for Repowering of the Wind Power Projects” in 2016 and based on consultations with stakeholders, released the “National Repowering & Life Extension Policy for Wind Power Projects -2023”.
  • The NIWE estimates the repowering potential to be 25.4 GW if wind turbines of less than 2 MW capacity are taken into consideration. 
Way forward
  • Among the wind energy generating States, the repowering potential is the highest in Tamil Nadu with over 7,000 MW of installed capacity that can be replaced or refurbished.
  • If the small turbines are repowered or refurbished, the contribution of wind energy to total energy consumed during the peak windy seasons can go up easily by 25%.
  • While there have been generators which have replaced turbines in the past without government support, the policy itself does not promote wind energy generation, claim the generators.
  • It should look at challenges on the field and consider how the wind energy potential can be harnessed fully by the generators.
  • No industry or energy generator will want to invest in a project that is not financially viable.
  • The repowering policy is not commercially beneficial.
Source- The Hindu

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